Press Releases

April30,2001

Congressman Adam Smith is pleased to report that Joe M. Allbaugh, Director of FEMA, has announced that the deadline for individuals and business owners to register for federal and state disaster assistance has been extended one month. Anyone who suffered damage in the Nisqually Earthquake of February 28 now has until May 31 to register.

Disaster victims who need assistance can call the toll-free registration line at 1-800-462-9029 to register. Persons with speech or hearing impairments can call the TTY line at 1-800-462-7585. Those who have already applied can inquire about their applications by calling the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-525-0321 (TTY 1-800-462-7585) These lines are staffed from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Applicants may qualify for assistance under several federal and state programs such as temporary disaster housing assistance, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes or grants to meet disaster-related needs not covered by other programs. If you need assistance from our office please contact Liberty Laskowski at 253-926-6683.

April24,2001

As Congress prepares to vote next week on the Fiscal Year 2002 Budget Resolution, Congressman Adam Smith will host 9th district citizens in a forum on balancing the budget entitled DebtBusters. The workshop will be held on Saturday, April 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Port of Tacoma conference room at the Tacoma World Trade Center, located at 3600 Port of Tacoma Road East.

Participants will be divided into small groups and given information on the federal government's budget and future projections. They will then face the daunting task of balancing the budget. Citizens will decide which programs to increase, freeze, or cut and whether or now we should raise, maintain, or cut taxes.

"One of my goals is to bring government closer to the people," explained Smith. "This exercise is a great way for constituents to learn more about the choices their representatives struggle with in Congress, and even more important, I will learn what their priorities and preferences are."

The DebtBusters programs is co-sponsored by the Concord Coalition, an organization dedicated to balancing the budget.

April2,2001

Congressman Adam Smith announced today his schedule for this spring's Town Hall meetings. Issues to be discussed include energy, tax cuts, education, health and others. Congressman Adam Smith appreciates the opportunity to engage in open dialogue with people who reside in his district, and he looks forward to these upcoming Town Hall meetings.

Also, please note that on Tuesday, April 10, 2001, from 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. Congressman Smith will host an Agricultural Advisory Council Meeting, located at the World Trade Center if Fife. If you are interested in participating, please contact Linda Danforth at (253) 926-6683.

March30,2001

U.S. Representative Adam Smith announced today that he has reintroduced the Honesty in Budgeting Act, which he had originally introduced in the 106th Congress. The bill encouraged Members of Congress and the executive branch to be honest with the public about true on-budget circumstances.

"I introduced this bill to tackle a very important problem," Smith explained. "Although Social Security is technically off-budget, politicians and government agencies still use the Social Security trust fund to mask the budget deficit. This perception that we have much larger budget surplus confuses and angers the public. I've included the Medicare surplus as well, because with the upcoming retirement of the baby boomers, it's clear we're going to need those surpluses to pay out benefits in the future. The bottom line is, we shouldn't be dipping into either the Medicare or Social Security trust funds, and the public has the right to know about the true state of our federal budget. That's why my bill will help accomplish."

Specifically the bill would encourage the exclusion of the Social Security and Medicare trust funds from the annual Federal budget baseline, and would prohibit trust fund surpluses to be used as offsets for tax cuts of spending increases. It would also exclude both trust funds from any official budget surplus or deficit pronouncements.

Congressman Smith is currently working with his Congressional colleagues on both sides of the aisle in hopes to convince them that passing the Honesty in Budgeting Act is the right thing to do.

"This is not a Democratic or Republican idea; This is simply good public policy that both parties should support because it will help us regain the trust of the American people," Smith concluded.

March28,2001

Congressman Adam Smith announced today that he will attend an Emergency Energy Conservation Summit this Saturday, March 31, 2001, starting at 10:00 a.m., held at the Jackson Federal Building in Seattle. Smith will be joined by other Washington State Delegation members along with representatives of several public utilities, government agencies, and school groups to discuss possible solutions to the pending continuation of the energy crisis our region is enduring.

"It is important that our region come together to discuss our current energy situation," said Smith. "We need to discuss how we can ensure that our economy remains strong and consumers are protected.

The intent of the summit is to help devise energy conservation solutions. It is Smith's hope that open dialogue among interested parties will aid in the solution process providing process.

The Energy summit will feature three panels, each with separate subjects and guests. It will conclude at 2:30 p.m.. The public and media are invited to attend. Congressman Smith will be available to speak with the press at 9:45 a.m.. Details of the summit to follow: